Long Time Coming
by Klutzygirl33
Summary: After she and Maura are in a car accident, Jane realizes the extent of her feelings for her best friend. Jane/Maura


**I don't own Rizzoli and Isles and never will. No copyright infringement intended.**

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Jane felt groggy, but gasped the instant her eyes opened. She couldn't feel much of anything, but she couldn't stop thinking of Maura. "Maura? She okay?"

Angela sniffled and squeezed her daughter's hand. "Maura is fine, sweetheart." Jane didn't have to know she wasn't being entirely truthful.

She didn't even have time to feel relief before she was pulled back under. When Jane woke up again a few hours later, she wasn't affected as much by the pain medication. "Where's Maura?"

Angela sighed. "She's currently resting in the recovery room because she needed surgery."

Jane did a double take (and almost immediately regretted it). "Surgery? What's wrong with her?"

"Please lay down. You were injured too." Angela was panicking and worried about both of them, but right now her priority was Jane.

"Ma, what aren't you telling me? Is she dead?" Chills went down Jane's spine at the thought and she struggled not to cry. What would she do if Maura was dead?

Angela shook her head. "Of course not. Maura just had some internal injuries they needed to fix and she broke her left leg. You broke some ribs and have a concussion. You're both going to be bruised for a while." Korsak had to drive her to the hospital after the call had come in because she freaked out so much. She was grateful their injuries hadn't been worse, although it would take both some time to recover. Angela definitely wasn't going to tell her daughter that Maura had flat lined at one point and they had to bring her back. She didn't want to do that if she didn't have to.

Jane sighed in relief and instantly wished she hadn't. "Can I see her?"

"Not until she's in her room. I'm sorry, Jane." She knew Jane would demand to see Maura the instant she was back and was prepared for that.

She glared at her mother, but was too exhausted to do anything, let alone move. As soon as Jane got her energy back, she wasn't going to leave Maura's side.

While waiting for her best friend to wake up, Jane had a lot of time to think. She couldn't remember what had happened in the minutes before the crash – something she was told was normal – and it was bothering her. They had been hit head-on and it was amazing neither of them had been more badly injured. And she couldn't stop thinking of Maura. Jane didn't understand why, but she was in a hospital bed and kept going over the past few months (years) with her best friend. She froze when it finally hit her and it seemed like the world had been tilted on its axis. "Holy fuck. I'm in love with Maura." Why hadn't Jane realized this sooner? Sure, there had been a lot of jokes made at their expenses, but neither had paid much attention to the rumors. When had her feelings changed? Was this a recent thing or had the feelings always been there? She wasn't sure, but Jane needed to talk to Maura. She couldn't let this go. So she started pleading with the nurses (and her mother) to let her in to see Maura. Unfortunately, no one would budge and she was forced to wait until Maura was awake for more than a few minutes at a time.

It wasn't until the next day – and after Jane had been drugged to sleep (she was pissed about that, even though she was in pain) - that Maura was awake and allowed visitors. Jane reluctantly sat down in the wheelchair (she complained about it multiple times, but no one paid her any attention) and rushed down to her best friend's room.

Maura was sitting up when Jane entered her room and she looked tired, but her face lit up when she saw her best friend. "I've been asking to see you, but no one would let me go." She didn't feel like going anywhere, no matter how much she wanted to see Jane, but that was beside the point.

Jane grinned at her. "I've been asking to see you, but no one would let me come until now either. Fuck all the doctors."

Maura would have rolled her eyes if she had the energy to do so. "The doctors have been helping us and you know it. Just because you're angry with them doesn't mean you should hate them."

"I hate when you get all logical like that." That was a lie – She loved it.

"So how are you feeling?"

Jane shrugged and then let out a gasp of pain at the sensation. "Better than I did yesterday. How are you?" She was trying to work her way up to confessing her love for Maura and it wasn't exactly easy. But when was it ever?

Maura's head was still a little muddled from all the pain medication she was on, but she knew Jane and figured out that her best friend was up to something. If she was thinking more clearly, she might have deduced what was wrong. "You look like something's the matter." She hoped nothing was wrong.

Jane shook her head. "Nothing's wrong." She took a deep breath and tried to prepare herself to say those three little words, but deflated after a few seconds. She was terrified to say it. What if Maura didn't feel the same way and she lost her best friend? She wasn't sure she'd be able to handle that.

"Jane, whatever it is, you can tell me." Maura was a little worried now, but she wasn't panicked. Her senses were still dulled.

Jane closed her eyes and when she opened them, she had the courage to say what she felt. "I'm in love with you."

The reaction was instantaneous. Maura grinned at her. "I feel affection for you in those regards myself."

Jane barked out a laugh and then groaned as the pain blossomed again. "That's Maura speak for you feel the same way about me, right? You love me?"

"I do. I love you, too." Her eyes started to flutter shut and she wished she could stay awake so she could kiss Jane.

"Go to sleep, Maura. It's okay – I'll be here when you wake up. I'm not going anywhere again." She was ready to fall back asleep herself, actually.

"Okay." And then Maura was out like a light.

Against her doctor's advice, Jane stayed with Maura. They eventually brought in a second bed once they realized she wasn't going to return to her own room. Jane was stubborn and she kept her promises.

The car accident had been a blessing in disguise for Maura and Jane, even though it took them several weeks to recover from their injuries. They had found each other in the aftermath.


End file.
